Talks And Lectures

A century ago, a public design competition resulted in the grand architecture of the Shrine of Remembrance. For 90 years it has stood as an iconic sentinal in Melbourne's architecture, so it's hard to imagine anything else in its place... In this series, you'll uncover the designs that could have been Victoria's War Memorial and the architects behind them.  Listen as Professor Philip Goad uncovers the plans of fourth-placed architects Roy Lippincott and Edward Billson, along with those of one of the sixth-placed architects, Harold Desbrowe-Annear. 

Have you ever paid attention to the Shrine's roof? If not, now's your time! In this episode of Shrine Stories, you'll hear about a big change that was made to the roof in the '60s and why it was needed.  Listen as the Shrine's Education and Volunteer Manager Laura Carroll uncovers a story that's been hidden in plain sight.  Music On this Day - Richard Smithson   

The Victoria Cross is the highest award for acts of bravery during wartime, and to date, only 101 Australians have been presented with this prestigious medal. One of them is Captain Robert Grieve, whose medal is on display in the Shrine Galleries. Join us as Philip Powell unpacks the story behind Grieve’s VC, his unlikely meeting with the Queen and how the medal survived a large fire. Music: Across the Line, Lone Canyon 

Over the course of his life, Tim Fischer wore many hats: deputy Prime Minister, politician, diplomat, farmer, chairman, patron and advocate for many causes. But one that often goes under the radar is that of a Second Lieutenant in the Australian Army. In this episode, author Peter Rees unpacks Tim's military service and how it impacted his life as a politician.  Music: 'I've Been There' by Alsever Lake 

How does a window go from being boxed up in a shed to on display at the Shrine?  In this episode of Shrine Stories, you'll learn the story of the John Charlton Memorial Window, and it's rather tumultuous journey over the last century.  Listen as art historian and author Dr Bronwyn Hughes OAM unpacks the window's history, significance and journey to the Shrine.  Music:  Across the Line - Lone Canyon  Special thanks to the generous support of The Copland Foundation towards the design and installation of the window

Kat Rae is an artist and veteran of the Australian Army who has transformed her experiences with Defence into striking art.  In this episode of Shrine Stories, we learn about the inspiration, process and message behind Kat's series of reduction linocut prints that depict the mountains of Afghanistan.  To follow Kat's work, head to katrae.net Content Warning: This episode discusses themes of mental health and suicide that may cause distress. If you need support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For a full list of support services, head to shrine.org.au/wellbeing-resources. Music: Across the Line, Lone Canyon 

Artist Ian Alderman spent seven years photographing the Belgian army’s bomb disposal team as they recovered ammunition from land that was once the battlefields of Passchendaele. Once a shell was identified, he had just two minutes to capture the moment before the team moved on to their next call.  This intricate work culminated in Recovering the Past—a unique photographic exhibition that connects these Belgian men with men of the Australian Imperial Force who fought during the First World War. The two groups are united through the art of photomontage, which results in a fascinating reflection on the enduring repercussions of human conflict. Listen as Ian unpacks Recovering the Past, including how he combined 100-year-old photographs with modern ones, and what he hopes people take away from his exhibition. 

The Great Escape has gone down in history as one of the most crafty, yet ultimately tragic, escapes from a prisoner of war camp (listen to our other episode, 'Shrine Stories: The Great Escape', to hear the full story!). But what happened in the camp after the escape? Were the remaining planned escapees punished? And how did the men cope with the news that 50 of their own had been killed? Flight Lieutenant James Anthony Cathcart 'Tony' Gordon was 180th in line to escape, and his son Drew Gordon joins us for this episode to share his father’s story, and what life was like after the Great Escape in Stalag Luft III.  Music:  Across the Line - Lone Canyon    

The Shrine Stories podcast takes you on a deep dive behind the objects on our gallery floor. In this episode, we explore the story behind a Norwegian language certificate that sheds light on the lengths some prisoners of war went to to escape captivity during the Second World War. The certificate belonged to Squadron Leader James Catanach, and for fans of the movie ‘The Great Escape’, this episode is sure to interest you. Music: Across the Line - Lone Canyon

The Shrine Stories podcast takes you on a deep dive behind the objects on our gallery floor. Just before Anzac Day in 1971, Melburnians woke to the news that the Shrine had been graffitied. Officials were understandably furious, but the identities of those involved remained a mystery. Shrine curator Kate Spinks-Colas joins us on this episode to unpack what happened, and why.  Music:  Across the Line - Lone Canyon Image: Reproduced courtesy State Library Victoria 

Whether you're a history lover or someone looking to learn more about Australia's wartime history, this podcast is for you. 

Bep-Rie Gomperts was two years old when the war started in the Netherlands. It soon became clear that she and her family needed to go into hiding for their safety.  Bep spent the next several years moving from family to family and was seperated from her mother just shy of her sixth birthday.  Listen as Bep recalls her childhood with several different families and what life was like amid the uncertainty.   Music: If I Were You, Alsever Lake

Silke Hesse was among more than 12,000 people who, at the peak of Second World War, were held in internment camps across Australia. She was almost six years old when she first stepped foot in Tatura internment camp.  Listen as she shares her story experiences of internment. Music: If I Were You, Alsever Lake

The Shrine Stories podcast takes you on a deep dive behind the objects on our gallery floor. In this episode, we explore a poster on display in the Vietnam War section of our Galleries. The poster was originally made and distributed in the United States as a protest piece. However, the one hanging at the Shrine has been re-designed and adopts a whole different meaning despite its similarities to the original. Join the Shrine's Collections coordinator Toby Miller as he unpacks this story.  Music: Across the Line - Lone Canyon

Garry Fabian was just eight years old when he and his parents were interned at Theresienstadt - a ghetto, concentration camp and transit camp used by Nazi Germany to house Jews from across Eastern Europe.  Of the 15,000 children who went through the camp, only 150 survived.  Listen as Garry shares his story and reflections on his childhood.   Music: If I Were You, Alsever Lake

The Shrine Stories podcast takes you on a deep dive behind the objects on our gallery floor. In this episode, we get festive by exploring two Christmas tins that were sent to soldiers in the Boer War and the First World War.  Join Exhibitions and Grants Coordinator at the Shrine Katrina Nicolson as she uncovers the contents of these boxes and how they were sent to the troops.  Music: Across the Line - Lone Canyon

Leading Aircraftman Vern Roberts was a fitter with No. 24 Squadron RAAF and was posted to Morotai during the Second World War.  On the 9th of September, 1945, Vern witnessed the Australian commander-in-chief Field Marshal Thomas Blamey accept the formal surrender of the 2nd Japanese Army.  Now 99, Vern has an impeccable memory and shares with Shrine curator Neil Sharkey his memories of service and life at Morotai. Music: Kevin Grahams, Together

The Shrine Stories podcast takes you on a deep dive behind the objects in the Shrine's Galleries. In this episode, award-winning historian, storyteller and biographer Ross McMullin shares the story of Australia’s first official war artist, William Henry Dyson. Will Dyson created hundreds of drawings of Australia’s soldiers at the Western Front, and managed to capture something no other artist could. Ross references several of Dyson's paintings and lithographs, which can be viewed here. This episode also discusses the below artwork, Welcome back to the Somme, in detail. 

The Shrine Stories podcast takes you on a deep dive behind the objects on our gallery floor. In this episode, we look at the craft of beaded snakes. These intricate objects were among the keepsakes made by Ottoman prisoners of war during, and directly after the First World War.   Listen as Shrine Exhibitions and Collections Officer at the Shrine Tessa Occhino reveals how these snakes were made, and why.  Music: Across the Line - Lone Canyon

To view a video version of the talk, click here.  Young Australian teacher Bruce Dowding arrived in Paris in 1938, planning only to improve his understanding of French language and culture. After the war broke out, Dowding helped exfiltrate hundreds of Allied servicemen from occupied France. He eventually paid the ultimate price and was beheaded by the Nazis just after his 29th birthday in 1943. His story is told in the book Secret Agent, Unsung Hero, written by Bruce’s nephew, prominent Australian lawyer and former Western Australian Premier Peter Dowding and historian Ken Spillman. This podcast was recorded live at the Secret Agent, Unsung Hero book talk at the Shrine of Remembrance.  Music: Maturity by Solitude